Swinomish Eelgrass Survey

PART 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION

This is a non-personnel services contract to provide technical services for an eelgrass survey at and next to the Swinomish Federal Navigation Channel (“Swinomish Channel”) near La Conner, WA (Figure 1). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers will be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn, is responsible to the USACE.

1.1 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES / INTRODUCTION
Provide all personnel, equipment, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform the tasks for an eelgrass survey as defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS). Perform to the standards in this contract.

1.2 BACKGROUND
Congress authorized the Swinomish Channel in the Rivers and Harbors Acts of 1892 and 1935. The channel has an authorized depth of -12 ft Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) and has three jetties at its southern entrance. Periodic dredging is required to maintain authorized depth. Maintenance dredging historically occurs every four to six years. The most recent maintenance dredging event was completed in January 2025.

The USACE is planning to perform two (2) feet of advance maintenance dredging (AMD) (to -14 ft MLLW + 2 ft overdepth) in the channel during future dredging events. The deeper dredging cut associated with AMD is expected to disturb a larger project footprint, disturbing approximately four (4) additional feet of width on either side of the existing area impacted by dredging. Side-slopes are 2H:1V (horizontal: vertical).

The USACE is also planning a major maintenance project to repair and modify the south entrance jetties. The Major Maintenance Project requires dredging a temporary access lane between the navigation channel and the McGlinn Island Jetty so that equipment and materials can be barged to the jetty. The project area is shown in Figure 6.

This PWS outlines tasks for the Contractor to assess the extent and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation, particularly eelgrass (Zostera marina), that may be impacted by advance maintenance dredging and the major maintenance project.

1.3 SITE DESCRIPTION
The Swinomish Channel is an approximately 13-mile waterway connecting Skagit Bay and Padilla Bay in Skagit County, near La Conner, Washington (Figure 1). The channel features three jetties at its southern entrance: North Jetty, Goat Island Jetty, and the McGlinn Island Jetty. The authorized channel width is 100 feet with larger widths at turning basins and bends to facilitate safe vessel navigation, in accordance with Section 110 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1958.

Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 show inset areas of the Swinomish Channel.

The McGlinn Island Jetty access lane project area (Figure 6) is a shallow mudflat bisected by a natural channel approximately 600 ft in length between the east McGlinn Island Jetty and the federal channel. Much of the project area is exposed at lower water levels; water depths are insufficient to allow all but shallow draft vessel access at high tide. Partially buried remnant logs are visible along the natural channel at low tides due to the area’s historical use as a temporary log storage area.

1.4 OBJECTIVES
The objectives for this contract are as follows:
• Conduct a Zostera marina eelgrass survey in the study areas to document and delineate the extent of eelgrass (areal coverage);
• Quantify Zostera marina eelgrass abundance (characterize the density of eelgrass meadows) within the study areas;
• Provide high-quality spatial and tabular data suitable for impact assessment, regulatory agency review, and mitigation planning; and
• Prepare a comprehensive data report that documents all survey methods, data, and findings in accordance with USACE guidance.

1.5 SCOPE
Perform an eelgrass survey in and around the Swinomish Channel. The services required under this contract are detailed in Part 5 – Specific Tasks.

1.6 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE (POP)
The Period of Performance shall be nine (9) months (270 days) from time of award to contract completion. Field survey activities shall be conducted between July 1 and August 30, when eelgrass is at peak biomass in Washington.

1.7 GENERAL INFORMATION

1.7.1 Quality Control Plan
Develop and maintain an effective Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure services are performed in accordance with this PWS. Prepare and submit the QCP in accordance with Part 5 Specific Tasks.

1.7.2 Quality Assurance
The USACE will evaluate the Contractor’s performance under this contract in accordance with the Performance Requirements Summary (See Section 7.2). The Performance Requirements Summary defines how the performance standards will be applied, the frequency of surveillance, and the minimum acceptable defect rate(s).

On the request of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or any inspector, provide the use of boats, boatmen, laborers, and material forming a part of the ordinary and usual equipment of the sampling team as may be reasonably necessary to inspect the sampling work.

1.7.3 Schedule
Submit a project schedule within ten (10) business days after the date of award. The schedule should target sampling with sufficient time for completion of all CLINs. Update the project schedule, at minimum, monthly. Include an updated schedule in all Pay Requests.

1.7.3.1 USACE Review
Include two (2) weeks for USACE review of any and all contract deliverables.

1.7.3.2 Recognized Holidays
The Contractor is not required to work on Federal Holidays:
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
President’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Juneteenth
Labor Day
Indigenous Peoples Day (Columbus Day)
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

1.7.3.3 Hours of Operation
The Contractor is responsible for being responsive to communication from USACE between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays or when the USACE facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar USACE-directed facility closings.

1.7.4 Place of Performance
The services described in this PWS will be performed in and around the Swinomish Channel and at the Contractor’s offices.

1.7.5 Type of Contract
The USACE will award a performance-based Firm Fixed Price Contract.

1.7.6 Security Requirements
There are no special security requirements. Work will not be conducted at a federal facility of any kind; will not involve the use of USACE equipment or vessels; and will not require access to USACE automated information systems. Refer to Section 1.7.11 for required pre-screening procedures for Contractor key personnel.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PWS, EVALUATION CRITERIA, & WAGE DETERMINATION for specific information and criteria for this acquisition.